An Espresso with Casanova

Merchants, nobles, artists and the glitterati of Venice have been sitting at the tables of the Cafe’ Florian on Piazza San Marco in Venice to see and to be seen since Italy’s oldest café opened its doors in 1720. Café Florian was the only establishment to welcome female guests and would certainly have been a favorite with the infamous Venetian, Giacomo Casanova. The ornate salons with glided mirrors and frescoed ceilings were the setting for many a dangerous liaison. Casanova, never to be deprived of a good espresso, was said to have made a quick stop here on his way to Paris upon escaping from the Doge’s Palace prison in November of 1756.